Out to Pasture
by The 483
Summary: An attempt to tie up some of the ends left dangling at the end of Mass Effect 3. What happened to Shepard, his friends, and the glaxy itself in the wake of the Reaper War. Not Strictly Canon because I am a bit of a romantic.
1. The Epilogue

Mass Effect: Out to Pasture

Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect.

**To hell with the Cannon, I'm ending Mass Effect Three my way. Originally when I thought of this, it was going to be one semi-long piece. But then I started it and decided it needed to be cut up into three slices. Needless to say, Spoilers, dear.**

**The Epilogue **

Somehow, though no one, especially him, knew how, he had managed to retain control. It was chaos after the Crucible fired, and the red energy washed though the system and destroyed the Reaper forces. It seemed like every Reaper that was touched by the energy began to disintegrate after a series of micro explosions rippled across their hulls. Reports began to filter in from the ground before the light had cleared. Husks, Cannibals, Marauders, all were all dissolving into dust. Hackett had no idea what had happened.

The Crucible had docked with the Citadel after Shepard had, by some miracle, opened the arms. But it didn't fire. He had tried to contact Shepard, but had gotten nothing but static. But it seemed to have worked for a few minutes later the device activated and fired. The balloon of energy coalesced and gathered in the Charon Relay and was launched out of the system. The core of the relay faded and the relay broke apart and began drifting. He sent as many ships as he could to stop the pieces from drifting too far apart. They were in deep shit if the Relays were all destroyed. FTL flight could still allow for transit between systems, but at speeds that would be far less then optimal. When the light emanating from the Citadel faded, Hackett had a moment of panic.

The whole damn thing was coming apart. He rerouted some more and luckily the non-human forces were still listening. They needed to keep the damn thing from entering the Earth's atmosphere.

(…)

The year following the final attack on Earth was not easy. The remains of the Human, Turian, Asari and Salarian fleets had managed to keep the largest chunks of the Citadel from falling to the planet, and towed them to a safe parking orbit around Venus. Thankfully, Comm Buoys were still up in some sectors, and communications were still available with most of the Galaxy. As most of the leaders of the Civilized races were stuck in Sol, this meant that they could at least start to get things back together. It was not a problem as far as the Krogan were concerned, as while they were eager to return, Tuchanka was in able hands while left to the Females. They were amazingly helpful under Urdnot Wrex. They were actually happy to help the Humans, who they knew were responsible for giving them their future.

While Thessia had taken extreme damage during the last weeks of the war, The Councilor had managed to survive and escape the Citadel before it was taken, and was ruling her people from Asari space. Their biggest contribution however came in the form of on Doctor Liara T'soni, who together with "The Last Protean" had poured through the Mars Archives, and discovered a more detailed examination of the Mass Relays than any current species had managed thus far. With Javik's help, they had a good idea of how to make a point to point conveyance by using bits of the salvaged relays. After the firing of the Crucible, the Geth had all gone offline, but had spontaneously reactivated, and devoted them to aid any projects they could. It was heard that they to wished to return home, which had surprised many.

The Salarians, whose planet had not suffered to greatly, devoted the entirety of their research staff to the project as a peace offering for their in system lack of support, and just a year after the battle, transit was possible from earth to Salarian space. Only the most learned of the projects engineers could explain how it worked, but it was similar to entangled communications, and like the Crucible was simple in construction if not theory. The final result was a ring just big enough for a Carrier to swim through, and enacted near instantaneous transit.

Then the real galactic recovery began, and those still alive returned to their people, or began to look for survivors in old colonies. It was a dark time, but recovery looked good for all species, and even the surviving Batarians were working at peaceful coexistence.

In system, the Geth worked tirelessly to recover survivors, scouring the broken hulls and picking up life pods. It was the perfect task for them, as they had large, mostly Organic survivors combed the ruins of the Citadel for the first month after the end of the war. The Reapers had made no move to eliminate the people inside; they had just towed it into the system. There were so many survivors, an endless chain of ships of all builds and species loading up survivors and dropping them on Earth. These efforts were hard, but Hackett hoped that the constant work would keep everyone too busy to panic.

He had been in constant meetings with the respective heads of all races. Everyone of them The Volus and Elcor, Hanar, Krogan, Geth and even one of the Quarian Admirals was linked in to the talks. Hackett absolutely HATED it. So far, all they had decided is that all of the species would now be represented on the Council. As the Highest ranking Alliance officer left, it fell to him to represent his people. He was a soldier, and even the Krogan had more experience that he did at all this political bull crap. Worse yet was that because of Shepard's success, it seemed that the lot of them were looking to him to give them answers to what needed to be done. But to get him out of here, he needed someone he could trust, especially after the debacle with that traitorous rat Udina. They had found Anderson in the ruins of the Citadel, but the old bastard had refused, saying he had more important things to do. Hackett figured it involved that Sanders woman who never left his bedside, and wished the Admiral luck. Then it hit him. Shepard was gone, but Hackett still had another Shepard. And she wouldn't refuse. No, she knew how much weight her name carried now, and he personally knew she was a good candidate.

He turned to his assistant, a perky little red head who had used to be a Cerberus agent. He had received a tip for the younger Shepard that this she was an excellent asset and could use a hand in "disappearing." He forwarded her dossier, and Hackett liked what he saw. He interviewed her personally, and she had been his assistant ever since.

"Chambers, contact Hannah Shepard and tell arrange for her to meet me in my office. I have a job for her."

**End 1**

**Just to cover the basics, this is a Male Shepard, everyone form Mass Effect 2 surivied, Spacer and War Hero personality, and Mostly Paragon with just enough Renegade for the fun choices.**


	2. The Flock

Mass Effect: Out to Pasture

Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect.

**Part Two. Spoilers, dear. Iam intentionally Vauge about a few things here, because, well, I wanted to leave it ambiguous till it needed to come out. Hope you like, thanks for reading.**

**The Flock**

The forest's trees were made of ashes. The ashes of millions of dead people of all races. But the dead were not silent. Their whispers fluttered through the forest of ash, all blaming him for their death. And he knew it was his fault. He was in the hell he deserved for his crimes and failures. He continued walking toward the child dressed in a white Jacket, the embodiment of all of his failure. When he reached the huddled form it looked up at him, and burst into flames while the eyes of the Batarian colonists he killed with the Mass Relay explosion watched in silence. It had been like this forever, and would continue forever. He accepted it. Mixed in with the Batarians, he saw the slightly luminous eyes of Mordin, with him was Grunt's squad that died saving the Rachni Queen. Peeking from behind another tree was Kaiden standing with Thane, another set of losses that he rightly bore the burden of responsibility for. Even Legion, standing amidst the Quarians from Admiral Koris's ship when Shepard chose to save him were present now. He had been here millions of times, and the guilt and sorrow still stung him as hard as it had the first time he had had the nightmare when he was still alive.

But this time, something different happened. As the ashes of the boy scattered in an errant wind, a piecing white light speared him in the eyes and pain flared across his torso. He brought up his hand to shield, and the light spread. Where it touched, the surroundings faded into a white haze. He looked around as another spasm of pain rippled through his body and his skin bristled with fire. He felt to his knees. The pain was old, constant, but it was coming in stronger, more frequent intervals now. He gasped, and when he finally managed to look up again he was startled. The entire forest had faded into white fog. The pain surged again and he collapsed and wound up on his back. It continued to rack him for what seemed like hours, and left him tired and with tears in his eyes. He slowly opened his eyes. He was so shocked by what he saw almost had a heart attack.

A giant face was looking down at him. When he saw it, a worried look crossed it and it looked away and spoke in that direction. The sound was simply noise, coming from far away. The blur around the edges slowly faded and the face began to make sense. A fall of dark chestnut hair, ice blue eyes, front teeth slightly larger than the rest. The face was familiar. The noise continued to assail his ears, but it too was becoming recognizable.

"…Having…seizure?"

"No…rate too high…sedate…cardiac episode…

"…stabilizing… rate is falling back into reasonable levels. But his brainwaves are still fluctuating off the scales." The woman over him turned back and looked down at him; the concern was still in her eyes.

"I don't get it. The labs are all positive, he should be cognizant. His brain waves say his brain is active, but his eyes aren't tracking…wait… he just blinked! His mouth is moving, I think he's trying to speak!"

"M…Mir…Miranda?" She smiled down at him and nodded. He swallowed. "I died again, didn't I?" He was surprised to see what looked like tears in her eyes. Another face looked down on him, framed by light grey hair.

"Not this time, Shepard, though not from lack of trying."

"Doctor Chakwas! Did we win?" She smiled in an unidentifiably sad way at the weakness and tremor in his voice.

"Yes, son, you stopped the Reapers. Rest now, we'll talk more when you're stronger." Drugs flooded his system and he was pulled back down, out of the light and back into the forest of ashes.

(…)

Shepard was being brought out of the drug induced coma as often as possible now. Doctor Chakwas explained that when he had been hit with the Reapers beam at the base of the transport beam in London, a good portion of his armor had fused to his skin, although she would not tell him how much exactly, and would not let him see his own body. He found he was in a white room on a medical ship, propped up in a bed and covered in a blanket up to his chin. They would not let him have a mirror. He could feel nothing below his neck, and Chakwas explained to him that his nerve signals were being blocked to help lessen the influence of the horrifyingly severe pain he was in. Even with that, it was still near crippling all of the time, and he was grateful. His system was so weak from the transplants and skin grafts that he could not handle the levels of pain medication it would take to alleviate his hurts.

When they had found him in the ruins of the Citadel, he was as close to dead as one could be and still be considered alive. For the past year he had been recovering while they removed the armor and wove back together his broken left arm and shattered pelvis. After he was healed enough that he became reactive to stimuli, he was drugged in order to minimize the stresses on his body, and to allow for the fastest adaptation of the grafted skin. He had been under constant watch by either Miranda or Chakwas the entire time.

Most of his awake cycles had been during Chakwas's shifts, so he had been reasonably caught up on what was happening, as those races trapped in Sol were fanning out back to their homes, and already refinements were being added to the new Relays. He had received a letter from Anderson. He had worried about the old man after having shot him on the Citadel, but deep down he had always known that the old bastard was to tough to die. He said that he had retired from active service, and was now working with Miss Sanders on the planet's surface; working with relief crews until the connection with the system housing Grissom Academy could be restored.

He had also been informed that his mother had been made the new Councilor for Humanity, and that all races in Council space now, save the Prothean, were now represented. There had been far more cooperation now the there had ever been before between all races.

Every time he came out of it, the first thing he would ask about was news of the Normandy, but seeing as his only source of contact had been Karin, and she never went farther than the cot in the observation room, he was not losing hope, if only because his nightmares got worse when he did lose it temporarily.

That's why he was surprised when he was pulled from the forest of ash only to find Miranda walking… no, striding into the room one day..

"You know, Shepard, you really should not fight the sedation so much. It would save you a lot of pain." She placed a datapad she carried on the table next to him, and sat in the guest chair near it, pulling it up to the bed.

"And it's good to see you as well, Miss Lawson." He couldn't move from below the neck, and no one would allow him a mirror, so he could only imagine what he looked like, but Chakwas had assured him he would be able to have limited mobility eventually. "I hear it's you I have to thank for my life a second time." She looked sheepish, which threw Shepard. He was not used to her showing much outside the range of indignant or sexy.

"I won't say that the initial rebuilding process did not help. When we stitched your bones and hardened them, as well as integrated the muscle and skin weaves, we didn't know how much damage they could take before becoming irreparable. But, it kept you in one piece long enough to get the job done, and the regulators in your blood stream it pumping long after you should have been dead. But, I can't take all of the credit, if you didn't have the constitution of a Krogan and the willpower of a Turian, I doubt any upgrades I could have put in you would have held you up this long." She managed to replace her disinterested air about half way through her little speech. "It's a good thing you didn't die this time, as I doubt there are enough resorses left in the entire Alliance to bring you back, even if I could get a hold of them.

"Okay, but you still didn't have to come and make sure I was going to stay alive, and I want to thank you for that." She waved her hand dismissively.

"Nonsense, they wanted the number one expert on your body, so they called the woman who spent two years rebuilding it. I am the formost expert on it, after all." Shepard arched his eyebrow. Chakwas had related to him that it had been Miranda who had been on one of the first teams search going for survivors, and did not stop until his body had been recovered. This was a full three weeks past when Anderson had first been discovered, 2 days after the end of the war.

"Miranda, you don't have to make things up, it's just you and me here, and I promise I won't tell anyone." She fixed him with a piercing stare for a few seconds, then picked up the data pad and pressed a button.

"Killing everything but the vitals' monitors." She said, obviously to whoever was watching and listening to the feed, then closed all audio and video links. She then turned back to Sheppard and leaned back in her chair. "Alright, so I searched until you were found, escorted you here and did not do anything until you were hooked up to the best life-support systems in the system and _I_ was conviced you were stable. Then I wielded my 2 years of work on your body until I was allowed to head the team that was stitching you back together. Happy?"

"Why? The Reapers are gone, and with Cerberus wiped out, you could do anything you wanted. No need to waste another year of your life working on my old carcass." She gave a wry smile.

"If you got killed from such paltry things as getting shot at point blank range by a Reaper and then being on the Citadel when it exploded after all the work I put into you, it would be a deadly blow to my reputation and the credibility of my work." Her Smile held all meaning she didn't say, and he didn't need any plainer description.

"Well, either way, thank you for saving me again, Miranda." She waved the dismissive hand again.

"At this point, I owed you one."

"How do you figure that?" She snorted a small chuckle back. Even lying in a bed after having most of his body smashed, for the second time, he was still so damned humble. She wanted to point out how every living thing this galaxy would ever see owed him their lives for breaking the cycle and destroying the Reapers. It was strange, because the Reapers themselves were utterly destroyed, and nothing that could be used to rebuild them or even study them had turned up. Along with all traces of their harmful tech. But things like the Relays and Citadel had just broken, and parts vanished, almost as if a challenge to see if the current cycle species were smart and resourceful enough to use it to advance them at a safe rate through reverse engineering. But she did not mention it, because Chakwas had warned her that the Commander could not see the good he had done yet, only those he could not save, and that it would only serve to depress him.

"Well, you warned me that Kai Leng was about, so he didn't kill me back on Horizon, for one. And if you hadn't had me with you when you destroyed the Collector base, I would have ended up an indoctrinated monster like the rest of those poor people who didn't get out of Cerberus in time." She shuddered. "Plus, you helped me with my sister, and my father. So consider this rejuvenation my thank you for being my one true friend, Shepard."

They continued speaking for a while longer, getting all of the things two good friends need to catch up on when they are apart for a long time, but Miranda's stuff was far more interesting than Shepard's, because outside the nightmare, he didn't have anything he could do. And he did not want to discuss the nightmares right now, because he feared he really was dead, and this was just a new layer of his punishment. As she was about to leave, he asked one of the two questions that burned in his mind whenever he was awake. Had she heard any news on the Normandy? She gave him a strange, distant look.

"I'll look into it. Oh, and if you have the energy, you have another… visitor who would like to see you."

"Sure, I can hold up until you decide that I need to sleep and pump me full of drugs again." There was accusation in his voice, and she did not blame him. But the long periods of deep rest were still necessary while they removed and grew skin to replace the melted portions. It was taking such a long time because with all they lost in the attacks, it was hard to come by enough meds, so they were giving him long periods of rest to let his body heal naturally. Plus, even with all the advances in medicine, it to a long time to grow skin, when you could only keep about a square inch alive at a time, and transplanting more than one or two squares at a time caused extensive trauma.

"Alright, then, but I am going to set up a buffer field around the bed. He's become prone to hugging, and it's actually fairly terrifying." She pressed a key on the pad and a shroud of repellent energy surrounded the bed. "Good luck." Miranda said before she left quickly. About a minute later a large shape was pushing itself through the human sized door, cursing under it's breath about the humans tiny forms. But when he looked up, what passed for a grin for the Krogan lit up the massive aliens gruesome countenance.

"Shepard!" He croaked, his deep voice making the air vibrate slightly as he advanced, arms spread, until he was repulsed by the barrier. He backed up a step, and dropped his arms. "You and that crazy bastard Salarian doctor did it! Bakara's first clutch hatched about 8 months ago, and not a single one miscarried or died of birth complications!" Shepard had never seen a Krogan behave this way before, literally bouncing with happiness. And it was even stranger coming from the giant leader of the fierce aliens.

"Wrex, it's good to see you. Glad you made it through the fight."

"HA!" His bark of laughter shook the air painfully. "You're one to talk. We took out are share, sure, but you wiped the clanless machines out permanently." He slashed his hand through the air for emphasis. He examined the human closely for a minute. "And looks like you got a few marks to show just how much it cost. Almost as good as my own." He indicated the scars running down the right side of his head lovingly. "Won't have any trouble with the ladies when you get out of here." Wrex took a deep breath, and his tone changed immediately to one of utter deadly seriousness.

"But that's not why I was hoping to see you before I leave. Heading back home now that they have our system linked in, and the ship leaves in a just a few minutes. Shepard, you have done more for my people than any of my own damn people have ever done to help us. You showed me why I needed to make sure we could be trusted with a future, and then you gave us the chance to show all you aliens we deserve it. Without you, we never would have gotten a cure for the Genophage, even with Mordin and his other STG buddies supporting it. You brokered a peace between us and the Turians, one that they are still upholding. Hell, That Primarch of theirs is even offering us the possibility of a joint colony on one of there worlds as a show of faith. And, you gave us the strongest enemies anyone could ever hope to see, and together we eradicated them. You gave us strength, honor, and hope. Our species shall regard your name above all others for as long as a single Krogan lives. And for that…" He made a movement like knocking junk off of a table, "I say to hell with making you honorary Krogan. Myself and Bakara both would be honored if you would join our clan as a full Krogan." He gave a bow which shocked the hell out of Shepard.

"You can do that?"

"Of course I can. And if the others don't like it, they have will have all of Urdnot to deal with.

"Sure, then, Wrex, I would be honored." He actually was honored. In his time spent with Wrex, Grunt, and Bakara, Shepard had gained a lot of respect for the brutal creatures. Wrex was one of his greatest friends, and Shepard at least partly knew just how much this offer meant coming from the Warlord.

"Then I welcome you, Urdnot Shepard, the first Human Krogan." He shook his head in disbelief. "Some things just sound weird; no matter how much they feel right. I wonder what the ancestors would say if they could see that our greatest champion and Battlemaster to our strongest warrior was from the third squishiest race in the galaxy? Anyway, Thank you again, for everything. Come and see us and the kids once you get your ass back on the right direction." He reached out his hand and bumped the repulsion field. He contemplated it for a second. He clenched the fist and punched it, and a circuit on the wall shorted and the barrier dropped. He held his hand out again.

"I would, but I have a block from the neck down. Can't move a thing."

"Oh." Wrex thought a minute, and then popped off the closest thing to an Alliance salute his physiology would allow and then left. Chakwas came in as he left, tutted about the barrier, and started Sheppard's medication, dropping him quickly back into the forest of ashes.

(…)

. Once he was aware that he was not awakened every day, but often after a week or more of resting in a drugged state, his first question became "how long was this gap?" So, the next time Shepard awoke, he had been given a digital calendar that showed him what the date it was, and the last time he had been awake. It had been three weeks. When he looked around he was surprised to see an unfamiliar female working quietly on her omnitool. When his head moved she looked up and smiled at him.

"Hello, Shepard." His eyes widened.

"Edi?" She nodded. She had gotten a new skin treatment on Dr. Eva's Chassis, and was wearing clothes. It was not possible, as far as he could see, to tell that she was a machine. "But…how…what… the Catalyst said that all synthetic life forms would die if I destroyed the Reapers."

"So that's what happened…" She said with dawning comprehension and looked pensive. "When the Crucible fired, the Normandy had just jumped to FTL to avoid Harbinger, who was really making an attempt to take us down. The pulse knocked me offline, and I guess most of the systems followed with the surge that caused. We came out and crashed safely thanks to Joker. We only made it as far as Ganymede, but I was still offline." She was talking to herself, but still managed to inform him of one of the pieces of information he needed. She then looked him right in the eyes. "Shepard, what is it like to die?" He had to think about it for a moment.

"I'm not really sure Edi. When I died, last thing I remember shoving Joker in the escape pod. Next thing I know Miranda is telling me that mechs are going to kill me." She was quiet. Her "flesh" face was so good that it was easy to forget she was metal underneath. "Do you think you died?" She nodded slightly, uncertainly. "Tell me what happened." He said.

"I… I don't really know if I remember, or if I just imagined it. My thought processes are…different then they used to be. But it seemed like something beyond me invaded my…mind and was rifling through my files, I mean memories. Then, it asked me. "Are you Human, or are you Machine?" I didn't answer, but next think I know I was reactivated in this body only. I was no longer in the Normandy. I…feel…different."

"I can tell. I have never seen you struggle for words before. Maybe the energy made you more human?"

"I cannot properly speculate as I have no experience being human. But I like it. I think I have been rebuilt to function as a human. I can no longer interface directly with the computers around me, but many of my other functions, like memory, intelligence, all of that seem to still be in place. I do not know if I am human, but maybe and organism of some type. I need to do more research. But, after I…awoke like this, the communication systems in the Normandy were fried. Together with Miss Traynor and Miss…" she shot Shepard a sly smile "Vas Normandy, we managed to get the distress signal working, and we were picked up shortly thereafter, no casualties in the crash."

"And what happened to everyone?" He asked. Edi threw him another sly smile.

"With no word of your fate and the state of the Citadel, the worst was assumed, considering the time elapsed since Admiral Anderson had been found. Your recovery has not been made public even now, as the Doctor Chakwas does not want you flooded with demands and visitors, and Admiral Hackett concurs. Miss Lawson contacted me personally, and we have been spreading the word to all the rest of our comrades the best we can. I know Garrus has plans to visit as soon as he can, and Joker sends his regards and will try to visit when you are better, as the trip is to strenuous for him to make with all of the checkpoints and guards. Doctor T'soni is held up with her Research alongside Javik, and Miss Williams is off with Lieutenant Vega, who was accepted into the N7 program and is currently accompanying a task force to set up a new relay in Batarian space and provide aid where applicable. Samara sends her felicitations, and had returned to the Monastery to spend time with her daughter. She said no that the Reapers are no longer a threat, she can see no greater injustice than allowing her daughter to suffer alone in the ruins, and thanks you for giving her this chance. I do not wish to repeat what Jack actually said, but the equivalent in semantic content would be a hearty "good job." Katsumi says she would lov to visit, but the security is a little more than she is comfortable with exposing herself to, and that she will see you once you get out. And finally, Miss Vas Normandy had returned to Rannoch and I have received no confirmation on whether she had received any of the messages that have been sent."

"Thank you, Edi, I've been worrying about what happened to everyone. It is hard to get any news in here, and I keep losing weeks at a time."

"Understandable. I have seen the charts detailing your dama…injuries, and the probabilities against you surviving this long. I would imagine the sleep would be preferable to the experience." She then looked sheepish. Shepard finally had enough of that.

"Ok, it was weird from Miranda, and downright crazy coming from Wrex, but I will not take it from you to Edi. I want you to stop treating me with like I am some fallen idol or fragile something. You all treating me with this quiet respect and honor stuff is stressing me out." Edi gave an embarrassed smile.

"Sorry, Shepard, all of these…feelings are so different than I am used to it is not easy to adjust. I am used to having been programmed for these things. I had a another question for you." Her tone was still slightly respectful, but better.

"Shoot."

"I am writing a book on the events of the Normandy and its infamous Commanding Officer. I was wondering if you would help." She explained that she wanted a definitive novel of the events that detailed Saren, the Collectors, and the Reaper War, including what he witnessed on the citadel, along with partial biographies of the main people involved. She had harvested all the info she could, from his original surviving Normandy SR1 companions, as well as all she could find from the Collectors journey. Shepard thought it was a good idea, as well as a way to spread the warning about the inevitable revolt of synthetics to future generations, and agreed. Edi was thourogh; recording everything Shepard had to say, and had only gotten half way through the fight to stop Saren when she was getting ushered out. She had booked his visiting hours for the next several awake periods, and would continue building her research. She was about to leave when she stopped.

"Oh, yes, I almost forgot…" She pulled a square object out from a handbag she carried, and placed it on edge on Shepard bedside table. "I pulled that off the Normandy before we were rescued, and figured you'd like it back. Shepard looked at the photo of an attractive woman with blue skin standing in front of a setting sun.

"Thanks, Edi." He said quietly, starring at it. She bowed slightly, smiling, and turned again to leave. "Hey!" He called, and she turned back to face him. "Welcome to the Human race, Edi." She smiled wider than ever as the door dilated shut and the familiar flood of drugs washed into his veins. He did not know if Edi really could be considered a human, but he was conviced, if nothing else, that she was a woman. This time the forest of ash didn't seem so bad, as always just through the trees there was a ball of light that looked the setting sun, and he knew he needed to see what was waiting for him there.

(…)

Three more sessions with Edi gave her everything she needed from him for the time being. The last time she had been there, he had healed enough that he was able to have his right arm unblocked, and just that much, even though he still could do much of anything, had him really happy. The blanket had been cut to allow it to stick out so he still could not see himself, but he didn't care for the elation. The next time he awoke, the room was empty. For several minutes no one was around, and he was sorely disappointed. He had gotten used to finding a friend every time he awoke. It was all that kept his spirits up when walking with the dead. The door dilated and a Turian dressed in heavy armor walked in.

"Shepard?" he asked, surveying Shepard through the monocular visor he constantly wore. Shepard smiled widely. "Thank the Goddess," he said exasperatedly. "This is the third room I've tried, and you humans all look the same without armor on I can't tell you apart to save my life." Garrus smiled back as he sat in the chair by the bed. Shepard cocked his eyebrow at his friend.

"Thank the Goddess?" he asked, and Garrus rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Heh, sorry. The Primarch thought it might be a good idea to rebuild our alliances with other races from scratch, get a new start. Somehow, I got saddled with the Asari. They really like using that phrase. It's…maddening." He threw up his hands defeated. "So, Shepard, here I was, thinking we were finally rid of you for good, then I get a message from Edi saying that they got you up here with as many tubes in you as Miranda could get her hands on." He shook his head sadly. "How did we get so unlucky?"

"Because, if I died who would make you look good when you go out." He considered it for a minute.

"Hmmm, good point. I see you took my advice with the scar business. I am telling you, with those beauties, you might actually be able pull off one of my stragglers next time we go out."

"How bad is it, they won't let me see yet, says the shock could cause more harm to my system."

"It's like looking in an ugly mirror." He said flatly, and then they both laughed.

"Seriously though, Shepard, I'm glad you're still around, this Galaxy would be awfully dull without you. You made a hell of a mess out there." They talked for a long time. Garrus, being a military man more than any of his other guests, was able to give him an accounting of the state of the galaxy he could wrap his head around. Estimations of the dead were not measured in numbers anymore, but percentages. Estimates were that about 70% of humanity was wiped out, along with around 65% of the Turians and Asari. They had links now to all of the major systems, and while traffic was slow, it beat the alternative, and life was continuing. For the first time since the emergence of the Reapers, things were starting to look good. Before he left, Garrus said that he would be in system for a while now, and he would come visit more just to help him kill the hours. It was funny, he thought, that after everything that had happened, that the strongest bond between two races was now that of the Turians and the Humans, who had started their first meeting with a war.

(…)

She was extremely nervous. She rung her hands together continuously as she sat in the chair looking down at the savior of the galaxy. It had been two years since she had last seen him, and she was worried how he would react. She watched him as he breathed deep in his sleep, his sole exposed hand twitching in the throes of some dream. She looked at his face, at the new scar that sliced through the strong jaw line creating a bald spot in the stubble, and the other extending away from his left eye back around and up into his hair. He was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen, and she had seen lot of beautiful and historically meaningful things as of late. But none of it matched this man, a legend in his own time.

She remembered the first time they met. He had saved her life. She remembered when she first realized she loved him. Remembered the pain when he died. Remembered the shock when she found out he was alive. The utter bewilderment when he said he had feelings for someone as unremarkable as herself. She remembered the first night they spent together, how his focus was solely on making sure she was comfortable. She remembered the look on his face when he quit working for Cerberus and destroyed the Collectors. She remembered when he found her again, after Earth fell, and how he was still there, waiting for her, even as the galaxy burned around them. And she remembered when he died, again.

But now here he was, breathing. But she had misgivings. In the first Normandy, he had not been with her then. Would he have had a change of heart again now that he was back after another two years? Would he forgive her for losing faith and believing him dead? He never had actually said that he loved her, and humans were known for being rather casual with their partners.

She was so preoccupied that she had not noticed that he had awoken and was watching her with a faint smile. She jumped when he spoke.

"I didn't really expect you to make the trip here." He said, but he sounded pleased. She looked over and met his eyes.

"I came as soon as I received the messages."

"Oh, well, I hope I didn't cause you too much trouble. I know how important your work is now." She waved her hand in a dismissive manner that seemed universal to women of all races.

"It came in the middle of a big meeting. I stood up and told them all I was leaving, and they could go to hell if they didn't like it." She chuckled at the memory the look on the others faces. "I mean, how often does your Commander come back to life after two years?"

"It seems to be become a habit for me. How have you been?" The forced nature of the awkward small talk was wearing on her nerves and making the arguments against him wanting her seem all the more valid.

"It's been difficult, rebuilding, but amazing how helpful and friendly everyone is. With the relays down, it takes so much longer too… transport… and …I… I don't… know what…I thought I lost you again." Her thought derailed and came pouring out with a choked sob. She had not shed a tear before, she had been too busy to do more than mourn in silence since the destruction of the Reapers, and now the emotion crashed through her. The harder she had fought to suppress it, the stronger it hit. She cried in earnest for quite a few minutes, until the worst of the spell was over. She sniffled, and wiped at her nose, cursing in her mind because it had no effect. "Sorry, *sniff*. It's just been so busy since the war ended; I haven't had time to properly mourn yet."

"Hey, it's ok, sometimes I think that's the only reason the galaxy hasn't collapsed yet. The people are trying to put off the moment when they have to face the reality of what happened." She took a deep shuddering breath, and decided to push forward before she broke down again.

"Shepard, did you think you'd make it out alive?" He was quiet, thinking carefully about her question. She thought she knew the answer, and dreaded that she might be right.

"…No. I didn't." Her breath hitched in her chest. Ever since she had gotten word from Edi and Garrus and Miranda that Shepard had been recovered, alive, her mind had whirled over the possibilities this opened. She had been upset when she was not allowed to remain with him when he had returned to earth for his trial regarding the destruction of the Batarian world. He told her he would contact her when he was free, but he was grounded and unable to reunite with her. Then the war broke out and they were reunited, and he still wanted her, despite all that she had allowed to happen. But, being Earth's best meant he was always going to be leading the charge when they tried to retake the planet.

And on the long trip back here, her mind had dwelt on just how ridiculous her situation really was. Truthfully, she had assumed she would not be making it out of the War alive, either, because if Shepard was on the front line, she would be on the front line. But now, they had a chance at a future, and all she saw was how many things were stacked against this working.

The biggest issue that rested on her worries was the fact that before he had died when the Collector attack on the SR1, he had been with another of their companions, but had not pursued her before the Assault on the Collector base. Maybe he only ever switched because he thought back then that he might as well, because there were very good odds that they would all die on the other side of the Omega 4 relay. After all, she hadn't even realized how she cared for him until after he died. Maybe, because he figured he was most likely not coming back from this as well, he was only with her because he didn't feel like putting the effort forward to bring the other back around. Yes, he had helped her with everything she wasn't strong enough to handle alone, just like always, but he did that for everyone, even going so far as to help Edi and Joker do… whatever it was they had going.

The more she thought about, the more sense it seemed to make that she was just a fling who had gotten too attached. He had just wanted to try the sex with another race, and she had taken it wrongly to mean more.

She had been so wrapped up in her own despairing thoughts that she did not hear what he said next, and only after he called her name softly did she respond.

"Hmmm?" It came out as an uneven gurgle.

"I'm sorry, I should have said something. It's just not something I really wanted to talk about, to anyone." He gave a sad little grin, and then rolled his eyes up to meet hers. "You remember that last night together before we hit the Cerberus base, and I woke up kind of…startled?" Her voice was gone under a fresh wave of misery and tears, but she managed to nod. "Well, when I left Earth, there was this little boy, couldn't have been older than nine. As we were evacuating, I saw the shuttle he was in get blasted out of the sky by a Reaper. He's always in my nightmares, running through a forest made of the ashes of all those who died because I wasn't able to get us ready for the Reapers." The pain that etched across his face riveted her attention, and she momentarily forgot her own woes. "I run after him, knowing that if I can just reach him…" He extended his working arm out as if longing for something, "I can save him. But right before I reach him, huddled in a clearing, another hand reaches down on his shoulder. I look at myself standing with him, and then both just," he popped his fingers out as he said the word, "burst into flame. I took it as a sign that I wasn't walking away from this one." He looked sadly away, and was quiet for a minute.

The fact that this revelation on his part came well after they had reunited did nothing to dent the conviction she had already established. "I think maybe I should have said something to you then about it, but I didn't want to burden you with my own crazy."

"It's… it's okay." She burbled, and tried again to wiper her nose on the back of her arm.

"With what I put you through and the sorry state I seem to be in, I would understand if you've had enough."

"Enough what?"

"Of…" He startedand then dropped his eyes to the floor, "…being with me." He whispered the last words. She head cocked to the side, as her disoriented and fatigued mind worked out what he was talking about."

"… … … WHAT!" With the realization that he was telling her that _he_ was still interested in her and thought that _she_ would want to distance herself switched her from woe to fury instantly. "You can honestly think that _I_ would want out, that I could possibly want anything other than to be with you!" She was shouting as loud as she could, all her sadness and frustration channeling into a rage that would leave her shaking. She was so angry she had risen to her feet and pointed her finger at him with every point she made. "That I could ever stop desiring Commander Shepard, Hero of the Citadel, bane of the Collectors, the man who destroyed the Reapers and ended millions of years of extinction by uniting the bitterest enemies of the Galaxy!" She gave an enraged, crying, sarcastic laugh. "HA! That I could stop loving a man who saved my life the first time we met? A man who took me in and became my friend when anyone else in the Galaxy would have just taken what they wanted and cast me aside if they noticed me at all?" He tone shifted to low and dangerous. "You were the first and only one I have shared myself with, Shepard," her shoulders shook with the force the building anger, "and you have the gall, the nerve… the…" She paused while she gestured her hand in a loop, her mind sputtering in rage for the word, "...the… BALLS to even consider that _I_ might want out!" Shepard tried to interject.

"No, shut up. Now you listen to me, Ca-man-der Shepard." She over emphasized each syllable in his rank and jabbed her pointer finger right in front of his nose. "_You_ do not get to, even for a _second_, get to imagine that _I_ would back out." She hooked her thumb to her chest at the word "I." "No, _you_ are the one who has to want out of this, because there is _nothing_, not a damn thing I have ever…_EVER_… wanted more than to spend my life with you."

And just as quickly as it flared, the anger left and she slumped back into the chair, shaking, and placing a palm up to her face, letting the other rest in her lap. She sat for a minute before her voice returned.

"Since I heard you were alive, Shepard, all I have been able to think about is how many ways this cannot work out for us, despite what I want. I just… I… I… can't ask you to try and make...make this work…just… too much… problems…" Her works were broken by defeated sobs, but she trailed off as she felt a pressure on the hand in her lap. She looked at the human hand that had folded itself over her own. She brought her face up and found Shepard's face fixed with a determined look. He had pulled himself over so that he could clasp her hand, bending his torso and causing agonizing pain to lance through his every nerve. But he looked her in the face, and paid no attention to the searing agony.

"I love you, Tali'Zorah Vas Normandy, and I if you will have me, I want to spend the rest of my life with you." The steely look in his eye shattered whatever doubts she had. Her body swayed slightly from the effect of so many strong emotions crashing through her, and she was suddenly extremely tired.

"Okay… Shepard," she managed weakly, bringing her other hand down on top of his, "I would like that." They stared into each other's eyes through her clouded faceplate for a long moment when the door suddenly dilated and Doctor Chakwas walked in.

"Hello, Tali, I trust you will want a bed placed in here for you?" She asked with a faint smile on her face. A bed was following her under its own power.

"Oh, Dr. Chakwas, hi." She was too groggy to react quickly, but she still was slightly shocked and sat up straighter. "I um… what do you mean?"

"Don't bother, Tali, they can hear everything that happens in here from the observation room." Shepard said dryly, squeezing her hand when she tried to pull away." She looked between the smiling doctor and the frowning commander.

"They can hear… they?" Shepard nodded, but Chakwas spoke.

"Yes, dear, myself and Miranda Lawson." Shepard didn't need to be able to see her face to know her pupils had just contracted in conjunction with the way her body tensed.

"Oh…balls." She said very quietly as the doctor moved forward and ushered her back along with the chair. She also handed her a pack of sanitized napkins.

"Forgive me if this is rude, but I imagine you might like to wipe your face a bit. We can provide a sterile room." She looked at the package in her hand then back up at the doctor.

"Oh, no, I'll be fine. Uh… just… don't look, please." She turned her back to the two before removing her visor, and Chakwas turned to Shepard and lifted her eyebrow at him. He tried to shrug but nothing happened. Chakwas shook her head and began anchoring the bed to the wall on the other side of the night table. She finished before Tali, and waited with her back turned, and took the opportunity to give Sheppard a dirty look. When Tali was finished and had snapped her faceplate back on, she moved over to the girl.

"Alright now, I know that was a rather traumatic experience for the both of you, so I am going to give you both a mild sedative. Don't argue Shepard. We'll give you a few days before we begin operating again. You can both see each other in the morning. Now, please lie down, dear." When Tali complied, Chakwas inserted the cartridge into an injection chamber on her suit, and Miranda allowed the compound to enter one of Shepards I.V.s. Tali was out in seconds; the stress she had put herself though on the trip back to Sol had made sleep near impossible, and the stress of the confrontation had drained what little energy she had managed to save. Before he passed out, Shepard saw Chakwas attach a monitor to one of the leads in her suit, and mutter something that sounded like "damn stupid kids," in a faintly happy voice before the black swallowed him. But this time, there was no nightmare.

(…)

Over the next three consecutive days, Shepard spent a good deal of his time simply listening to Tali talk about whatever she wanted, happy to have her with him. Chakwas was extremely happy as well, because of the effect the girl was having on her patient. All of hos levels were improved, His clotting factor was up, and he even seemed to be healing slightly faster. Most pleasingly, the brain activity he had when he was sleeping was much less erratic. She knew that the mental status of a patient had an effect on the physical health, but this was pronounced. Plus, she was happy Shepard found someone to love, he deserved it, and she was fond of Tali as well.

Tali took time to fill him in on the Quarians and the Geth. Her people had not heavily settled the planet. Many had tried it, but found they preferred the familiarity of the ships. She was still an Admiral, and had, due to her past experience had been placed in charge of liaison with the Geth. Admiral Raan had thrown her support in support behind Admiral Koris and herself in dealings with the Geth, and they had agreed that the Geth had first claim to the lands of Rannoch. But the Geth were different. She had used the word evolved. The upgrades that Legion had sacrificed himself to give to them, along with whatever the Crucible had done had changed them. They no longer existed in hubs and servers, but each individual platform was a single Geth now. They were a race of organisms, not simply machines. Not exactly synthetics, but they lived like organics. They even reproduced much like the Asari.

With no need to defend themselves against the Quarians, they had offered up their ships to the Quarian Navy, but Tali had turned them down. She had worked out a plan with one of the Primes that they had chosen to lead the Geth. They were not to be treated as second class citizens, but as equals. The Geth could serve side by side with the Quarians, but never in place of. So the Geth repurposed their ships to make them more accommodating to the Quarians, and both races now commonly crewed the ships of the other. Rather than living in two segregated societies on the same world, they lived together as equals, similar to the Hanar and Drell.

When she was explaining this to sShepard, she had said she simply tried to see them as he did, and tried her best to make it so that old grievances would be forgotten in the mixing of the two. Her biggest surprise was that the Geth had started naming themselves. And they named themselves with the craziest names imaginable. In one geth dwelling, it could be possible to find one name Moe, Pontoon, and Gurgax. And adopting the naming conventions of the Quarians. The ones that joined the Marines even took to decorating themselves with decals and painted artwork like some species did with tattoos.

She talked about how when she had first returned to the home world, she had no ship to be apart of, as the Normandy was recovered, but without enough resources to rebuild it. So she had stayed on the Tonbay with Admiral Raan when in space, although her work often had her on the surface of the planet. One day, a Geth she had had dealings with, named Four-Twelve Vas Dreadnought, as they had not found the need to name their ships. He said that he would be honored if she allow him to give her his ships. She declined that, but said she would be happy to serve under him on his ship, with him remaining Captain. He agreed, and asked her to christen her new ship with a name. She went with the obvious choice, and was how she became Admiral Tali'Zorah Vas Legion.

She was carried to Sol in the Dreadnought, and it had caused quite a stir, getting several articles placed in extranet news publications all reading similar to "Geth Dreadnought seen docked with Medical ship Edgar Rice Burroughs in Sol system, a sign of just how well relations are going," or "Geth spotted on shore leave on Earth."

They also tried to figure out what they would do after. Tali voiced her concerns, like her job, his job, their different DNA types, what here people would think (as she had not told them the nature of their relationship, but she suspected her auntie Raan knew,). She never voiced the concern about if she wanted kids one day; it was just not something she could bear thinking about. But Shepard patiently put each one to rest, no matter how many times she came back to them. She did not know it yet, but Shepard knew what he was going to do, he just didn't need her fretting about it. She got the answer to one of her questions in person one morning.

(…)

Tali was talking about what it was like serving on, and essentially ruling over a Geth ship, rolling the rock Shepard had given her when they had first landed on Rannoch in her gloved hand. It had worn smooth in some areas, and she never went anywhere without it. With the help of the Geth and the hope provided by actually having a planet to call home, the Quarians immune systems had recovered to a fairly advanced degree. Those that stayed in the same areas of land rarely ever got sick unless they traveled outside of the area they settled. Even then it was almost never that serious. Their customs still had them in their suits for meetings with others, and faces were shown only to those who were intimate, but many who dwelt upon the surface of Rannoch did not were their helmets when in their homes. As a majority of the Race still populated the ships, especially those in the liveships and continued to grow the food necessary while the skills involved in terrestrial farming were relearned, the custom would probably continue. Those who lived in close knit communities had already come up with crude masks to allow them to associate with others without the need to don their suits.

As such, when she was alone with Shepard, she removed the faceplate and helmet of her own, as Chakwas had cut video feeds while she was present. He seemed to appreciate it, anyway. With all the security present and with Chakwas and Miranda omnipresent, she had no worry of being caught without time to dress. But as it always is when you are most complacent, the unexpected happened. Without warning the door dilated and a tall, clearly agitated woman strode in with an air of owning the place. Tali was so struck by the power of the woman's presence that she froze, propped up on her side on her bed, facing Shepard, her long black hair falling over the white pillow.

"And here is the proof!" She growled angrily, looking at Shepard. "Two years, and I hear a rumor that once again your sorry ass is alive, and I thought, no, it couldn't be, he wouldn't leave me in the dark again." Her eyes burned in the mostly unlined face behind the curtains of iron grey hair. "What the hell is your excuse this time, boy?" Even though he could not move except for his neck and right arm, he seemed to be at rigid attention.

"I haven't had any contact with the outside world since I got here. And even then I've been completely unconscious for most of it. The only reason I've seen anybody is because Dr. Lawson told them for me." She spoke softly but it seemed to crack like a whip.

"And you couldn't be bothered to have her send me word? God, between you and the stuff that Bastard Hackett roped me into, I don't know why I don't just retire and run off to some secluded colony with some young Turian stud." She shook her head sadly. "Ridiculous, you can call out for an escort but can't even let me know you are alive." Tali just atched the exchange in mute astonishment, so awed by the woman's dominance she was only mildly annoyed she had just called her a whore. Shepard was a bit more irritated, and the tone of his voice caught the woman's attention, as she obviously wasn't used to being addressed in it.

"This is not an escort," he said slowly, emphasizing every word, "this is _Admiral_ Tali'Zorah Vas Legion." He put extra emphasis on her rank, and if Tali had been able to read human shoulder insignia, she would have seen that the woman was an Read-Admiral. "and she just happens to be my girlfriend, mother." He scowled at her as Tali's eyes attempted to pop out of her head in shock. The woman let out a heartfelt expletive and her entire demeanor changed.

"Sorry, Admiral Zorah, I heard my son was dating a Quarian a while back, but I didn't make the connection." She held out her hand and Tali stood and shook it.

"Please, Ma'am, it's just Tali." She grinned a large, toothy smile.

"Then cut out that Ma'am stuff. It's Hannah Shepard." She pulled suddenly and wrapped Tali in a hug, which surprised her even more. She whispered in her "ear" while she did. "Thank you for taking care of my boy." She backed away after, and looked at the Shepard in the bed. Sorry I can't stay any longer, I have to get back to the Council," she almost spat the word "and listen to the politicians bicker. Sometimes I think it might be a better idea to just let the Krogan Councilor carry out the threats he is always making. Anyway, I just wanted to see you before you find a way to get yourself killed again. Keep in touch." And she was gone as quickly as she had come.

(…)

Several weeks after Tali's arrival, Shepard was still undergoing surgeries, but he recovered quicker and could take one every four or five days instead of at a week or more. He had gotten his left arm back, and was on solid food when he was awake now. With Tali around, Doctor Chakwas had decided that it would not be harmful to allow Sheppard to see the damage he had taken. She showed him and her holos of the areas, and then finally pulled back the sheet and shown him his torso. Tali had gasped at the extent. The entire area from below the line of his shoulder blades to waist was a patchwork of white scar tissue bordering red squares of flesh. Shepard had looked down at his ravaged body, then asked about what lunch would be.

When Shepard was under for recovery, Tali worked from her ship, always returning before he awoke, being the first person he saw when he awoke. But one day she had worked late, and did not awake before he did. So it was Joker who was the first thing Shepard saw that morning.

"Morning, Commander." He said cheerfully. He was sitting in a recliner like wheel chair in between the beds, Edi by his side. Shepard smiled.

"So, they finally got you something you can actually drive well, then?" He asked.

"I'm not going to point out how bad that was because you just woke up."

"Thanks." Shepard said, yawning.

"But, yeah, with all the checkpoints you have to go through to get in here, it's easier to sit though most of it. Besides, I have some important news, and I figured you'd prefer it in person." He took a deep breath before continuing. "They had to scrap the Normandy. They just can't spare the resources to make her whole again. They took this chair out of her and gave it to me in honor of my service in her." Now that Sheppard looked, the motorized chair was Jokers pilot couch from the Normandy.

"I'm sorry, Joker, I know how much she meant to you." He shrugged.

"It's not so bad, she lived a good life. Plus, I managed to salvage the best part." He gave the hand Edi had resting on the arm rest a squeeze, and she smiled happily down at him. "So, commander, whose the hot chick?" Joker leaned in close before he spoke, indicating the picture on the night table. Shepard arched his eyebrow at Joker, and then nodded slightly behind him. Joker turned his head back only seeing Tali on the bed, and then looked back at the picture. He repeated the movement a few more times. "No way, really?" Shepard nodded gravely. "Hmm, nice." The door dilated and Garrus walked in, stopped when he saw Joker and Edi, nodded, and then spoke to Shepard.

"I have something you're going to want to see, Shepard, and you're not going to like it."

"We'll head out then, nice to see you, Shepard, get better soon." Joker said and wheeled out, Edi walking behind him. Tali had woken up when Garrus spoke, and was now sitting up propped against the wall on her pillows. She always slept with her helmet and faceplate on, partly out of habit, and because Shepard's awake cycles often brought visitors very early. Garrus sat at the foot of her bed, facing Shepard.

"Hello, Garrus, how's Liara?" His head flicked to Tali so quickly that he might have toppled. It clicked in Shepard's head.

"So _that's_ what your important job building with the Asari was." He said, and enjoyed seeing just how uncomfortable it was making Garrus.

"Well…yes." He said, sighing. "I was nervous about telling you because of… you know…"

"Because they had sex on the way to Ilos?" Tali said in a neutral tone, which made Garrus so much more uncomfortable. Shepard laughed as he fidgeted .

"Don't worry about it, Garrus. I like the idea. Maybe she can help pull that stick out of your ass."

"Yeah," Tali added, "and she always seemed like the kind of person who could use a bit of "Calibration."" She made air quotes around the word, and all three laughed at the euphemism.

"Is that what you needed to tell me?"

"Oh, no. The council final made a decision on something, unanimously. They are going to build a damn monument where the transit beam stood in London. The rough idea is it is going to have one of every major race sanding and staring down a Sovereign class Reaper to symbolize how we all stood together to defeat them." Garrus orated.

"Okay, what's so bad about that?"

"They are making you the face of humanity.: Shepard began to argue. "They said that it's going to happen whether you like it or not. But they told me to get your opinion on who else be represented for the other races. They said whoever you say will go up, full control." Shepard thought about it a minute.

"You and Tali, for sure, because if I have to be involved, you can't get out of it. Hmm, Liara and Wrex, Thane, Mordin, and Legion." Garrus typed it onto the Datapad he was carrying.

"Alright then Shepard, I'll get this back to them. And, Thanks. Liara says to get well soon, and come visit us and Javik on Mars when you get out." Garrus turned and left. Shepard had assurances from doctor Chakwas that he only had one more transplant to go, and then a few weeks of rest and some other treatments to repair the damage the his nerves took when his armor fused.

And so it was that 2 years and 7 months after the fall of the Reapers, Commander Shepard was cleared to leave the Hospital and start the first day of his life with his Quarian lover.

**End 2**


	3. The Pasture

Mass Effect: Out to Pasture

Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect.

**The final part. Spoilers, dear.**

**The Pasture **

The air car flew low, leaving a trail of disturbed water on the otherwise glassy surface. Shepard sat low in the seat, his left hand on the yoke, his right clasped with his wife's. He had been waiting at the spaceport, just like he had every time she had had duty on the Legion and he had not accompanied her. Her voice in on the Admiralty Board carried quite a bit more authority when Shepard accompanied her. She was amazed; all the challenges she imagined had proved to be no real issue at all. How and where they would live he had answered while they we still on the Hospital ship Edgar Rice Burroughs. They had been talking, and she had stated that whatever happened, she would follow him. He had surprised her by laughing at her.

"You spent the last three years doing that. Not anymore. I didn't get you a home world for you to abandon it for me." And he was true to his word, and once he was released, they boarded the Legion.

One of the most surprising things that happened with the Geth, was now that they were no longer dependant on each other for intelligence, each unit developed a distinct personality. A funny part of that, at least to Tali, was that they referred to their mating process as "Consensus." Four-Twelve, the Captain of the Legion, had grown a personality that resembled her own foul mouthed, unladylike behavior. They no longer referred to the Quarians as the Creators, either, but by their names alone. But Four-Twelve was giddy with the fact the he would have Shepard aboard. The all referred to him as "The Savior" and Tali thought it was cute how uncomfortable it made him.

Shepard pulled the yoke toward him, and the cars nose rose as it approached a low cliff. She squeezed his hand as she saw the low set house perched near its edge. She had not realized it, but Shepard always listened to what his crew said, and remembered it all. Tali had, when they were taking back on the Alarei, she had talked to herself when they discovered what her father had done. She had mentioned how her father had promised to build her a house on the home world. But it was Shepard who had, over the course of year, kept secret from her, who had done it. He had given her a home world, and then built her a house on it. In the exact spot she had offhandedly said she could imagine it the first time they had landed on Rannock. He even put the window right where she had motioned, overlooking the ocean. Sometimes, she hated how good he was to her, because she could not imagine what she had done to make him feel she deserved it. She had asked him once, and he simply shrugged and said "humans are just weird I guess." She had cried when he showed it to her.

Shepard had to have all his food imported, but a grateful race of Quarians solved that one for him. Tali also had worried about if Shepard would be able to settle down after spending his life as a military man, but aside from taking the odd call from top Alliance brass and taking jobs for her own government, he had. A burgeoning mixed community of Quarian and Geth had grown from around their home, and now it was a full fledged little town. Shepard had been a staple in the town, and there was talk about him actually becoming a full time teacher in the village's school.

In fact, the only problem she had left was one she could not figure out any way to get around. She did not bring it up to Shepard, not because she feared rejection, he had proven that he wasn;t going anywhere and she would never worry about driving him off again, but because she did not know if what he felt, and she did not wish to burden with it. She would have liked to have had children, but their different races and DNA eliminated the possibility. But she was happy, so she ignored the urge whenever she could.

He swung the car around, and landed on their pad. They got out and headed into the House, Tali moving to their room, and Shepard for the yard. He opened the sliding door and stepped through, closing it behind him.

"…and so I asked him, just out of curiosity, what he thought about Turians, because he didn't have that hereditary prejudice of us, being tank born. So he just looked at me like he was thinking about it… then shrugged and said "Crunchy." The others laughed, more at Garrus's impression of Grunt's voice that at the actual punch line. Shepard merely shook his head with a sad smile as he reclaimed his seat by the fire which he had left when it had been time to pick up Tali.

Today was five years to the day of the end of the Reaper War, and the third anniversary of this particular meeting. It had started the day before he had left the hospital ship. As it was that after the events of their adventures, each of those that traveled with Shepard had become rather prominent within all of their races, and all were realists, they saw that opportunities for most of them to get together would be hard to come by. So, they had promised to, one a year, on the day of the Reapers fall, they would all meet and just hang out, like they had on the Normandy.

So that is why Garrus and Liara were sitting around the fire in Shepard's yard, drinking. He had talked to almost everyone else in one way or another that day, but they were the only two who could physically make it.

After it was made public that Shepard had survived the destruction of the Citadel, about 6 months after he had retreated to Rannoch, he had received almost as many attempts at gifts as he had requests for assistance or endorsement or advice or a million other things. Hackett had foreseen this, and had Traynor field most of the crap, and forward him only the stuff he needed to see, which was almost nothing.

Initially, he had no real love for the Quarian people in and off themselves, but he had had liked Tali from the first. It was something that seemed to be universal among a lot of males he had seen. The "little girl in over her head but still trying as hard as she could" was just something that got to him. If it hadn't been for Liara, he might have noticed it sooner. He was ashamed to admit it, but they had both been alien to him at first, but both had the "over their heads" thing, but Liara just looked more… Human, and so he had been attracted to her instead. At least that's how it looked in retrospect. But in truth Liara would always hold a place in his heart, but more akin to that of Garrus and Joker.

In fact, once Liara became the Shadow Broker, she had pulled him aside and told him how happy she was for Tali in that she had finally made a move. And it wasn't that thing women do that is just a stab about how he and she had been intimate, but she was genuinely pleased. Garrus talking to him brought him back to his senses.

"Shepard!" He shook his head as if he were startled. "Pay attention. You heard about what happened on Quadim, right?" Shepard's blank stare answered that. "The Turian world our government is allowing the Krogan to partially colonize with our people?"

"Oh! Oh yeah. Didn't one of the Turian cities get razed by one the Krogan's?" He had seen it even this deep in Quarian/Geth space. One of the smaller cities of heavy Krogan population had slaughtered all the local Turians, then taken the next town over as well.

"That problem was solved earlier this month."

"Great, so now we get another Turian – Krogan war?" Shepard asked, disgusted by the whole affair. Garrus gave a satisfied laugh.

"Surprisingly enough, no. Wrex had called up Victus as soon as word of the attack reached Tuchanka, and formally requested his people be allowed to deal with the situation. Against the advice of all his top advisors, save me, he agreed. Grunt and a small army landed, retook the town, and then literally leveled the entire offending village into a massive bloody crater. Wrex has been sending out video clips to all the Krogan that he can get them to with a message that reads simply: "This is the fate of _any_ that jeopardize the future of the Krogan Race." I saw some, and let's just say Grunt hasn't calmed down much from… From the…last…uhh…" Garrus trailed off, looking behind Shepard as he lost his train of thought. Liara was looking in the same direction, a pleased look on he face. Shepard just smiled back at them, because he knew what was happening.

(…)

Tali was anxious to the point it was starting to manifest as a physical affliction. She had wanted to do this for a while now, partly to see if she could muster up the guts to, and partly for comfort. But wanting to break a taboo and actually doing it are two different things. She had done everything she could think of, bringing her hair forward in heavy bangs, adding some showy barrettes to it, wearing the most boisterously colorful and loud clothing she could find, but none of it helped ease her nervousness. The dress itself was an odd wrap like affair made from several different strips of cloth that amounted to the equivalent of a sun dress, but still managed to cover most of the body. The touches that they used in decorating their suits had carried over to their textile clothing now that many could live outside them. But after a hearty swig of some heavily alcoholic drink, marked with the blue cap, her Dutch courage had prompted her into movement. She opened the door and stepped out onto the back porch, where Garrus sputtered to a stop mid sentence and stared with his mouth and mandibles drooping open. She managed to take another step forward, noticing how happy Liara looked. She stopped and stood as her nerve gave out and fought with her pride to try and get her to run for it. After a minute or so, Shepard turned and looked her up and down.

"Come and sit down before you faint, dear." He said bluntly and patted the seat of the chair next to him. The irritation caused by him being an asshole had the desired effect and she got moving again, finally coming to a seat next to him. She smiled nervously around at the two others. Garrus finally seemed to snap out of his shock, and shook his head to clear it.

"No wonder you fell for Tali, Shepard. I never would have guessed that that was hiding under the mask." Tali's panic reflex kicked up but Shepard had anticipated that and squeezed her hand as reassurance, but still nodded as he bumped fists with the Turian.

"It's a compliment, dear." Her cheeks flushed with color and she just wanted to bury her face and cry. He cupped her chin and kissed her briefly, smiling warmly before turning back to talk to Garrus.

"And I fell for her _long_ before I knew what was under her helmet. She could have looked like you under their and I still would have been caught. It was funny, actually, that after she showed me, I still thought of her faceplate as her face for about a week before I adjusted." He chuckled slightly.

"Still," Garrus added, talking to Tali, "You are very pretty…for someone who looks so much like a human." He added as an afterthought. That last part got her feathers up, so to speak.

"Hey, and what about her?" She pointed indignantly at Liara, who smiled benevolently back at her.

"He continues to insist I look just like a blue Turian."

"A _beautiful_ blue Turian." He corrected her sagely. Tali was slowly becoming more confident with her face expose to these closest of her friends. She had never removed her mask except in front of Shepard, but she felt that these two were close enough for her to have faced it. She could tell that Liara appreciated the gravity of this gesture, for she had stood now, walked over, gotten her to stand, and given her a big hug. Garrus gave them a puzzled look until Shepard leaned over and whispered to him.

"Showing her face uncovered to someone is the second most intimate thing a Quarian can do with someone." He sat back as Garrus's pupils contracted out of shame and he staggered to his feet as the two pretty blue girls parted, both tearing slightly in shared happiness.

"Oh, Goddess," he said, repeating Liara's oft used expletive, "I'm sorry, Tali, I didn't mean to seem rude…"

"It's alright; I've come to expect it from you." She said briskly, wiping her eyes with a large finger. Garrus looked nervously to the others in supplication, until he noticed she was smiling, then moved forward and received a hug as well. They pulled away and Liara placed a hand on Tali's shoulder.

"Come on, Tali, let's go get cleaned up a little." She said, and ushered her into the house even as she tried to protest. When the sliding door clicked shut Garrus slumped back into his chair with a long, heartfelt, and extremely human expletive.

"Well, doubt I could have handled that worse." He said, shaking his head.

"Meh, you're alright." Shepard decided to pitch the idea he and Tali had been kicking around for a while now, and the real reason she had decided to show her face. "So, you're job doesn't really necessitate you to stay in Turian space, does it?" Garrus was confused, and looked over at him with a raised eyebrow ridge.

"No, I'm just reserved as an advisor now, and spend most of my time working for the Shadow Broker. And since she tends to work from home, it means I do to, unless she needs someone she can trust on a ground op."

"And how often is that?"

"Not very. Kind of boring, after what we've been through, although it should get interesting soon." Garrus had an odd look on his face, one that was strangely familiar, though Shepard couldn't place why.

"Why's that?"

"I… I'm not supposed to tell. But I'm sure you'll find out soon enough." Shepard gave him an accusing look, but he didn't budge.

"O…kay. So come and live with us. We'll add on to the house." Garrus stared into the fire, and didn't speak for a few minutes. He sighed.

"You humans aren't very good at jokes. That almost sounded like a serious offer."

"It is." Shepard replied, getting up and grabbing another beer with a red cap, and tossing Garrus another of the blue capped ones. He caught it and popped the lid off on one of his mandible ridges. Shepard sat back down before continuing. "I didn't work to rid the galaxy of the reapers just to lose touch with all my friends now that we have a chance to actually enjoy ourselves. I still talk to some of the others, but you two are the only ones who could or actually wanted to come out tonight. Joker and Edi got their assignment to the _Alenko_ as pilot and co-pilot. Miranda is off destroying all the old Cerberus data and locations. Wrex and Grunt are trying to keep the Krogan in line while also trying to populate as often as posible. Ashley and James just had their second kid. Samara is working with her daughter, who can't leave where she is because then one of them will have to die. Jacob is working with his wife in the Alliance, and Anderson, his wife, and Jack are all too busy with reestablishing the Academy to get any R&R.

"But you two don't need anything more than an extensive computer system, an entangled comm. Unit, and access to the buoys. All of which we have or can get." Garrus shook his head in wonderment. "Think about for a second. We have everything needed for you to be comfortable here. The Quarians share your DNA type, so you never have to worry about food. As I need food imported, Liara is taken care of there. We have a nice colony formed up around us, and they are always looking for good people for all kinds of things, so you'll never be bored. Liara would be safer here than just about anywhere else, because the fleet, and seriously, who is going to expect the Shadow Broker to be living on Rannoch?"

"We wouldn't want to impose on you, Shepard." He said gruffly.

"And you wouldn't. This is the reason Tali chose to come out in her face tonight, to show you that she is all for this too. Hell, she proposed it to me, and I just thought, "Hey, why didn't I think of that?" Hell, I'll bet ten credits that she's selling it to Liara right now." Garrus gave a sly smile.

"I'll bet she is not." His expression went blank, and he continued looking into the fire. "I'm not against it, but you'll have to talk to Liara before you decide if you really want to make us this offer."

"Garrus, you two are my best friends. You've been with me since the beginning, and we all lived together well enough on the Normandy. I doubt there is anything that could change my mind about this." The sliding door clicked open, and Garrus was overtaken by that strange look again.

"We'll see." He said, and looked at the girls coming out. Shepard looked as well, and saw both girls were in tears again, but positively beaming.

"What's wrong with you two?" Shepard asked, instinctively knowing he needed to pose the question with a cautious air. Liara answered.

"Well, Shepard, I am pregnant."

Shepard choked on his drink and sat forward sputtering and coughing.

"Oh, my *cough* *cough* God, congr *cough* congratulations." Now he knew why Garrus couldn't say anything. You don't take the reveal of a pregnancy to a friend from a woman if you want to remain intact. And he recognized the look that had crossed Garrus's face. It was that look of mingled fear, despair, doubt and euphoria all trying to happen at once when someone thinks about becoming a father and not being sure they could cut it. Shepard recovered fairly quickly and received a bear hug for the Asari. He caught a dark look on Tali's face out of the corner of his eye, but it was gone when he looked, and thought he might have imagined it. "That's great news, Liara, Garrus, Really. But I fail to see how this would negitivly affect our offer." Liara looked curious.

"What offer?" She asked, looking from Garrus to Shepard.

"Ha, told you, you owe me ten Credits." Garrus grinned and placed his hands behind his head while leaning back.

"You'll have to wait, I don't have my chit on me. Anyway…"

"Don't take to long. I'd hate to have to break your knees."

"Noted. I told Garrus while you two were inside, that we would like it if you two would come and live with us here."

"What do you mean?" He covered everything he had gone over with Garrus, supplemented by Tali. Liara stared at Shepard for a long minute, her eyes blank. "We wouldn't want to impose, especially with a little one on the way." She said finally, shaking her head slowly.

"You won't be imposing at all." Tali said with an air of finality that quelled whatever else Liara had wanted to say.

"We will… Think about it."

After that conversation and drinks continued to flow for a good couple hours, although it was harder to track time after the first hour. Midnight found Garrus and Shepard laughing their asses off while Tali recited some rather bawdy limericks she had learned. Liara laughed occasionally as well as she sat, trying to remain focused enough to use her Biotics to effect. She would create a bubble over the fire, catching the smoke, but loss focus and it would fade. She was turning over again what Tail and Shepard had asked. She had been working on the logistics of it in her head, and she liked the idea. All she really needed to perform her work was her computer array and connections to the extranet, and that could be achieved on Rannoch more easily than it was on the Ship they were currently housed on. She was for it, but she would need to talk to Garrus about it, though she doubted he would be against it.

She smiled as she thought about him. He had been hurt so badly in the past, both emotionally and physically, though he wasn't really bothered by the physical part, even after getting half his face blown up. But with his Fathers initial rejection, Sidonis on Omega, and dozens of other small betrayals and abandonments along the way; he had grown to have a rather dim view of himself. He joked about it, laughing and saying that when Shepard is your only stable friend, you're probably doing something wrong, but she knew it really hurt him. She could see it in the far away looks he would get when he would hear things, or say things, or even when he just sat alone staring out a view port. It why she had been so surprised when he had asked her if she would care to join him for a drink on their way to the Cerberus HQ.

They had always been friendly, if not close, except for a short time after they had first picked her up. He had been suspicious of her where Shepard had been instantly trusting, not quite buying her tale of how she had been trapped on Therum. He hadn't been rude at that time, but he had kept his distance. After the events at Peak 15, though, he was perfectly friendly and the remainder of their time between then and when they met on the moon of Palaven. They had been friendlier on the Normandy, the air of fatality spurring them to have less inhibition. But it wasn't until Thessia fell that things had gone from a simmer to a boil. After Shepard had talked her out of her depressed state, Garrus had visited with her and both bonded over their world collapsing under the Reapers assault. They had gotten together shortly after the end of the war, while still marooned on Jupiter's moon.

Her hand slipped and she started, having not realized she had fallen asleep. Garrus was now drunkenly harassing Shepard, and it seemed Tali had dozed off as well.

She smiled at his grousing. She knew that while he could appreciate the need for his current work, that did not mean he liked it. She had a feeling that Shepard was having problems along the same lines. Both men were soldiers, so long on the battle lines that they were at home at war. While they did not hunger for combat, it still held sway in their blood, and they could not be fully at ease without it. After all, what is there for a retired soldier to do?

"Oh, yeah, I had forgotten, but they finally finished the monument on Earth." Garrus said, the three his data pad at him. Shepard bent down and picked it up out of the grass, wiping it's screen on his pant leg. He activated it and pulled open the tagged file. The holo projector glowed to life and projected a scale model over the fire.

A large Sovereign class Reaper labeled Harbinger stood crouched on its legs like a giant malevolent crab, its ruby energy beam projector glittering. Before it, dwarfed by the immense machine, were several figures. He manipulated the controls, and zoomed own on the little people. Word bubbles popped over their heads, the legend denoting that these words were etched onto plaques at the statues feet. The whole thing was done in a shiny black stone and treated in different areas to reflect different colors of light so that it shimmered with iridescent color.

They were arrayed in a semi circle, with a human with a Quarian to its right dead center in front of the Reaper. The Human was dressed in the near iconic Blood Dragon armor that Shepard had worn on the final assault on the Spire in London, and had lost when it had melted and fused to his skin. When the recorded light moved, the dragon painted on the front glittered in violent ruby, outshining the rest of the armor. Above his head, the text in the bubble listed his achievements. _Commander Shepard: Human Systems Alliance Soldier. First Human Spectre. Hero of the battle of the Citadel, Krogan Battlemaster, Peace broker for the Geth and Quarians, Savoir of theRachni, Paragon of Humanity._

The statues right hand was clasped tightly with the figure next to it, an unmistakably female Quarian. _Tali'Zorah Nar Rayya Vas Normandy: Quarian Admiral. Engineer, fought the rouge Spectre Saren, the Collectors, and Reapers. Wife of Shepard._

To her statues right was a Turian. _Garrus Vakarian: Turian Agent. Past Citadel Security, Past Mecenary. Advisor to the Turian Hierarchy. Shepard's oldest friend._ For the rest, the data pad only had the names.

To his right was a Krogan, Urdnot Wrex. To his right was a Drell, Thane Krios. First on Shepards left side was an Asari, Liara T'soni. On her left, a Geth platform with a hole in it's chest, Legion. On his left was a Salarian, Professor Mordin Solus.

After that were people of the other species that had done important things during the war, members of the Volus, Elcor, Hanar, and Batarians and Vorcha, but Shepard did not recognize them. On the far right was even a matched size model of the Rachni Queen. Shepard killed the projection and tossed it back to Garrus, who fumbled but caught it. He tucked it away, and suggested they call it a night. Now extremely sleepy, but a bit less tipsy, Liara placed a full bubble over the fire, choking it off, and releasing the smoke in a single large ball. She then threaded her arm around Garrus, steadying him for their walk to the guest room. She didn't know when, but she had decided to take Shepard up on his offer, if Garrus was willing. She would bring it up to Garrus after his hangover wore off the next day.

(…)

Shepard rose as Liara snuffed the fire, picked up the lightly dosing form of his love at the back and knees, and carried her into the house. She woke enough to wrap one arm around his shoulder. He moved to their room and plopped her down on the bed, where she rolled onto her back and smiled blearily at him, raising her arms in an invitation. He moved to the side of the bed, leaned down and kissed her, then left the room. He checked to make sure the cupboards had their locks in place, because with a house full of drunk aliens, it would be mighty easy for one to go looking for a snack, only to grab the wrong kind of food. He closed the back door, and headed back to the bedroom. He had been hoping Tali would bring up the subject, but in she never had, and so now, with the subject already in the air, he would broach it while she was drunk. He could always make up something if she remembered it the next day.

He walked in, and she was still lying on her back, arms spread wide, her eyes glazed, but she was not yet asleep. He striped to his short clothes, and then helped her up so that she could undress as well. Once they we snuggly cuddling under the covers, he spoke.

"Tali, do you want children?" Even in the dim light drifting in from the open window, Shepard saw her face go from the soft drunken smile to completely blank so fast it seemed to blur slightly. She was quiet for a long time, her eyes catching the faint rays of the moon, locked with his.

"I'm happy." She dodged the question, so he posed it again.

"Do you want to have children?" It was said with a bit more force. Tali felt a brief stab of annoyance.

"Really, Shepard, I am content with the way things are now."

"Tali, answer the damn question."

"Fine, Yes, of course I want to have kids!" She snapped back. "I mean, seriously, what possible reason could you see that would make it so that I would not want to have your child?" She continued tartly.

"So then why have you never said anything?"

"Because I didn't want to burden you with one of my own little wants when you already sacrificed so much for me." Shepard quickly realized that she was not nearly as sloshed as he had first suspected.

"What are you talking about?" She had quit worrying that she was causing him an inconvenience just by trying to be with him over two years previously, had had a strong and confident attitude resultant from it, so this took him by surprise.

"Oh, I know you feel constrained here. I can see it in the way you stare off into the distance when you don't think anyone is watching, the way you talk with Garrus when he's around. You're a warrior, and there is no call for that here." Shepard was quiet for a long moment as he thought about it. She was correct, of course, about him being a warrior. His blood hummed with the desire to combat opponents that would challenge his skill even with the strenuous work out schedule he completed daily.

"Tali," he finally said, "I don't feel constrained. It's just different on this side. As a soldier, I never was around for the rebuilding and living portion of life, just the fighting so that others could live part. Yes, it does get boring and lonely at times, but I look at you and it makes it all worth it. I don't really know what kind of complications there will be in trying to have children, but if you are willing to try, I will throw everything I have at trying to come up with a solution to it." He was unable to continue because he faced an assault by an extremely amorous girl at that moment. By the time she was subdued, and they lay together in each other's arms, further discussion was unnecessary, and the pair drifted to sleep, one contented, one still fairly buzzed.

(…)

If there were two words that could be used in every description of the Quarian people, they would be resourceful and redundancy. They were experts at what the Humans called "Macgyver-ing" things, and the term swept in and could now be heard being used even by Batarians. The Quarians had made a reputable name, still possessing the largest fleet in the Galaxy, which they maintained because more than half of the population chose to remain in the ships after the war ended. Some, like Admiral Gerrel, found it easier to maintain their duties, while others found it too difficult to adjust to life on the planet. A hefty portion of the fleet scattered through the systems put their mechanical expertise in repairing and salvaging for all the rest of the races. That, plus the fact that the now mythical Commander Shepard had chosen a very high profile Quarian mate, the reputation the Quarians had become very favorable.

On the second point, having such weak immune systems, a war with the Geth, and life depending on ships, the Quarians had set up many redundant systems. Everything they had that they could back up they did, and then made a back up for that. This was evident in their genetic bank. With the high possibility of an catastrophic event wiping out a good portion of the population, a system was established. Whenever a Quarian made a significant contribution to society, or was approved for military service, some of their reproductive cells were taken and stored. This provided that I something happened, like a massive accident in space, of a plague that rendered a large portion of the population sterile, they would still have a wide base of genetic material to have a diverse genetic background. Once they had a good sized capital city, they built a second facility where a second sample would be stored, and plans were already in place for a third.

This provided the solution to where Shepard was going to get his hands on a child. After all their conversations on the subject, Tali had her mind fixed on that they would be adopting a human child. But when Shepard realized that this was her thought, he quashed it. If she was interested, he would like to raise a human child, but he wanted to work with what was on hand first. Besides, any way it was looked at, he wanted two children, as he had been an only child, he knew it wasn't fair to a child to make it grow up alone. When pressed, Tali admitted she would prefer to birth a child herself if possible, so Shepard, with Liara' help and resources began looking for a suitable donor. Being a house mate of the Shadow Broker meant that he had command level access to the facility's network, so there was no info in the system that he could not access. During his digging for a favorable gene pattern he came across one candidate and immediately took it to Tali. She approved right away, went to clinic, and had sufficient pull to make the impregnation happen. So it was that Shepard's first child would contain the genes of Tali'Zorah and Kal'Reeger.

Shortly after it was confirmed that the pregnancy had taken, they began browsing various adoption agencies looking for a human. It was good they started early, because it turned out that even for the famed Commander Shepard, it was difficult to get approval when you lived on a Dextro-based planet, where everything short of the air was potentially poisonous to the child. It was not too bad, however, for it gave them time to browse, as above all, they were looking for on around the same age as their first would be. So they were content to wait, and it would take about two years.

(…)

Liara and Garrus had moved in about a month after the gathering at the fire. Liara had spoken to Shepard the following morning before she left, and told him that they had some things to tie up, but they would be delighted to relocate to Rannoch. Shepard had the additional rooms added in a matter of days, but the hardened bunker that Liara wanted installed for her was still underway a year later. But she had enough going in that month that she could still operate. Garrus and Shepard were both asked to aid in the advanced ground combat for the Quarian Marine Corps. It was good, for it let them both keep up with their military backgrounds with the added bonus of improving the odds of this…seemingly fragile people a better chance of survival.

The Reapers may have been wiped out, but that didn't end hostilities, even with the increased reliance each species had on the others. As populations increased again, and the war drifted backward into the fog of memory, hostilities would inevitably break out. The Vorcha, with their violent attitudes and exponential breeding factor were the most likely cause of major trouble in the future, but no one was willing to consider another genophage like incident, so they just kept careful tabs on them.

(…)

One day, about 5 months into Tali's pregnancy, her belly pleasantly rounded, she walked into the house, and cut straight to the kitchen where Shepard was doing his best to overload the capacity limit of potatoes that his burrito could safely handle and still resemble a cylinder. She had ceased wearing her full environment suit when on home, but rather any number of airy and silky dresses, in part because she enjoyed the feel of open air on her skin, and partly because ever since she had begun to show, Shepard had been extra attentive to her, and taking apart enough of her suit to facilitate coupling took too long for her liking. She had pulled off the mask she wore when she had re-entered the house, and left it within reach of the door. She was not happy, and it showed across her pretty face as she thrust an object into his hands.

"What's this?" He asked as he turned it and read the cover of an old fashioned hardcover book. _Reckoning: The fall of the Reapers. By Edi Moreau_. Well, she had promised that she would have her reckoning. Shepard thought it was cute that she had committed whole hog to the "being human" thing and taken Jokers last name.

"Have you read _this_ yet?" She asked.

"No," he answered, careful with his tone as he could tell she was really not happy about something. "This is the first time I've ever seen it." She looked at him, as if trying to figure out if he was lying.

"Well, look through it and tell me what you think. I think a few of our "friends" may have been a bit too candid with their information." She made the air quotes where they applied. She turned on her heel and marched out, and Shepard did not miss the chance to admire her profile. Nothing in the universe that he had encountered could match the radiant beauty of _his_ wife pregnant with _his_ child, even if it would not be biologically related. He cracked open the book, and the first page bore a simple dedication.

**To those whose sacrifice, past and present, made this possible.**

Stenciled in ink on the inside of the front cover was loopy, precise, elegant writing. _To my good friend Shepard – who trusted me when all others would have never thought to, I dedicate this, the first printed copy of my book. Love, Edi._

Over the next few days, he proceeded to read the thick book, which was an account of the time spent chasing Saren, the struggle with the Collectors, and the War against the Reapers from the Normandy's point of view. This was prefaced by a brief biography of each of the main people who served aboard the ship opened with a quote by that person that summed them up fairly well. For the chapter on Grunt: _I am pure Krogan. You should be in awe. – Urdnot Grunt._

Or for Mordin: _Had to be me. Someone else might have gotten it wrong. – Mordin Solus._

Shepard liked it, it was written in a way that made them all seem like real people. The whole book was a highly personal, yet at the same time, almost objective, and entertaining recap of the events that transpired. He particularly like how Edi did not simply label Saren and the Illusive Man as villains, relating how they, for at least part of the time, were indoctrinated and acting under Reapers orders, and in the end, both had fought it and proved that even those furthest gone could still try and help rectify their mistakes.

It was when he got to a chapter called _Romance on the Normandy_ that Shepard gleaned at what it was that might bother Tali. The chapter opened under another quote.

"_What could I possibly be suggesting? I mean, a young woman gets rescued by a dashing commander who lets her join his crew and then goes off to save the galaxy? How could she possibly develop any kind of interest in him? - Tali'Zorah Nar Rayya Vas Normandy"_

But it wasn't just that she was now fully cognizant of the fact that Edi could have heard, and possibly seen everything that transpired on the ship, but some other things buried in the text that irked her. He guessed it was mainly the segment that was quoted by Garrus that was mostly raised her ire.

_Garrus Vakarian, the Normandy's resident Turian for all three tours of duty chimes in on Commander Shepard's romantic conquests aboard the Noramndy._

"_Ok, so, when I first joined up with Shepard on the Citadel, it was just us, Alenko, and Chief Williams. Now, it has been thrown around that he and Williams had something going on between them, but there was never anything other than a social and professional relationship. But once we picked up Liara, the sparks got to flying." Garrus leans forward in a consperitorial manner, grinning slyly. "I don't know why, and it seems to be something both me and him posses, but there is just something so… alluring about having a girl need you, that just makes it click. The fact that they were also spending lengthy periods of time with her rooting around in that hollow cavity in his skull probably aided the situation a bit, too." He sits back and takes on a thoughtful look. "But, they faded down into "mutually respected professionals" and "friends" after he returned from the dead. After he picked me up because he needed someone to stop the Collectors, and then again someone that they could put on posters and vids to inspire everyone against the reapers, Me and Miss T'soni got a bit better aquainted. See, I picked up this little beauty," he indicateds the damaged section of his facial plates and skin, "and I was having to beat them of with a stick. Even the Cerberus girls were casting approving looks my way."_

_Here I Inquire to him about how the Relationship between Tali'Zorah and Commander Shepard's relationship started and progressed._

"_Ah yes, this is a bit of an oddity, even to me." He placed his hand upon his chin, and thought for a minute. "Their relationship didn't really progress so much as happen._

(…)

About a year and a half later, both got their adoption requests got cleared, and a little female Turian, Sileen Vakarian, and a female human with red hair and green eyes, Catherine'Shepard Nar Terra also became members. It was an odd little family of legendary figures that had four children raised in a cultural mix of Quarian, Turian, Asari, and Human traditions and values.

Tali took to motherhood like she was made to do solely that. As a result, Shepard did his part by simply backing up whatever Tali decided, which suited him, because he found that she made, in his opinion, very good decisions. On the otherside, Garrus was the more maternal of the pair. That was not to say that that Liara was an inattentive mother, of course, she was a great parent, but where as she enjoyed having daughters, they were Garrus's whole world. The others actually found that Liara was the bracing parent to be highly amusing. But Shepard understood. No amount of discipline and training could prepare a man for being gifted with two beautiful daughters. Garrus and Liara raised their girls as their respective species, but Shepard's little human girl was reared in a Quarian fashion, learning primarily that culture, and its taboos, so that outside the house and its grounds, she always was incased in her own pressure suit. Outside of the immediate family, she never went without her face covered.

(…)

The family had fun living out its early days on the Quarian home world. As they became more involved in the training programs within the fleet, Garrus and Shepard were given permanent positions, and even rank within the Quarian military. Tali continued to be instrumental in cementing ties with the Geth, and gained a great deal of respect of her own merit as an Admiral. But as the girls grew, the parents wanted them to see just how much each race was important to the galactic community, so they moved around a lot, which was actually easily achieved, as many of the personal friends and contacts Shepard had acquired in his travels enjoyed a visit.

One episode that Shepard remembered fondly was the first time they took the girls to visit Tuchanka. Rae had been about 9, and Catherine 7 at the time. He marveled at the different reactions the two girls had upon seeing the devastated home world. Raeka clung to his leg and looked about with excitement, while Cathy just roved her eyes over everything, carefully examining it with solemn eyes. Tali was off… somewhere, with Bakara, most likely, having taking Catherine, while he had Raeka and was chatting with Wrex. Well, Raeka was the kind of child who feared nothing unknown until it proved harmful, and would manage to disappear if you took your eyes off her for longer than a second. Well, during his conversation, she had of course gone off to explore, and Shepard had not noticed in the slightest. Well, when she started pulling on his leg again, he looked down at her. He mask was a spider web of cracks.

"What the hell happened to you?" He asked. She looked around with difficulty, then pointed to a small Krogan that Shepard had not noticed before.

"Daddy!" She said it with a gravitas that seemed to indicate whatever had transpired was Shepard's fault. "This Slope headed idiot was making fun of my suit." She cut herself off, as if she thought she could get away with leaving it there.

"How did you break your faceplate?" She acted offended by this accusation.

"When he made fun of me, I head butted him!" This statement was made with a tone and movement that told him he should have naturally jumped straight to it as obvious. Wrex looked down on the child with his reptilian eyes.

"This true?" The little Krogan met Wrex's stare without quaver.

"Yes."

"What did you do after?"

"Nothing. I never seen one of these Exo types before."

"And you should be glad you didn't. that little Exo is one of us." He made a quick explanation of Raeka's roots. The little one was both awed and suspicious. Wrex went back to ignoring the child. "Shepard, this little runt is Mordin." Shepard nodded, and spoke quietly to his daughter for a minute. When Shepard finished, the little Quarian turned to Mordin.

"Hey, since it was your head that broke my mask, you should escort me back to my shuttle so I can get a replacement." She said it with the total authority only a little girl can muster. He nodded slightly and moved toward her, and she placed a hand on his arm, as his shoulder was too high up for her to comfortably reach.

"Your shuttle?" He asked.

"Yes my shuttle, Slope. A true Quarian would never let a human drive." Wrex gave a huffing chuckle as the two moved off through the lighter ruble and out of sight.

"Cute kid Shepard."

Many events preceded and followed this, and all of them showed that raising children, especially females, was much more strange than anything he had encountered in the Alliance. But he was happy. He had his wife, 2 beautiful children, a home, and his best friends. And best of all, he had left them with one legacy better than any other. He had made it so that his girls, and all the others, need no live in fear of the death machines that had ended the joy of so many cycles before them. He had given them a future where they could decide how to use it.

**END**


End file.
